New GMOs
Tracking their rapid rise and entrance into the supply chain
Over the last few years, the growth of the biotechnology industry has rapidly accelerated due in large part to an explosion in start-up companies and venture capital funding. Today, genetic engineering is no longer about a few agrochemical giants manipulating a handful of commodity crops. It’s also about engineering animals, gene-edited crops and novel ingredients brewed in vats in warehouses.
These new GMOs are largely unregulated and unlabeled, and they’re flying under the radar of the natural products industry. What’s more, many new GMOs are being marketed and sold to brands as “non-GMO.”
The Non-GMO Project is committed to keeping you informed so that you can operate with confidence in this new and quickly evolving landscape. Below, we offer resources to help you keep your goods non-GMO — so that you can deliver the natural products your consumers want.
Plants Love the Butterfly
Plant-Based Eaters Are Increasingly Choosing Non-GMO
Biotech has conscious consumers all wrong. With more and more new GMOs entering the marketplace, shoppers’ preference for plant-based and Non-GMO Project Verified is only growing. Research says there is little demand for new GMOs. Of all the plant-based foods, over half of the sales represent products carrying the Butterfly label. Now that’s some love!
What can you do?
1. Sign up for New GMO Alerts
2. Ask the right questions when sourcing ingredients
If you’re a brand or a retailer, ask the right questions of your ingredient suppliers to ensure you’re sourcing non-GMO. What's the easiest way to avoid GMOs? Look for Non-GMO Project Verified products and ingredients!
3. Keep an eye out for these words
Sometimes, these words describe techniques, processes and products of biotechnology. When sourcing, look for these descriptors; they may indicate the presence or use of new GMOs.
4. Download & share this GMO timeline
The GMOs in this timeline are the tip of the iceberg. Still, the downloadable infographic highlights how new GMO development is accelerating and broadening in applications and traits. Please share this resource with your customers and colleagues!
5. Synbio seminars
Join us for our rolling series on synthetic biology. Our seminars feature research, ideas, insights and opportunities related to new GMOs and their rapid rise into the supply chain. Join brands, retailers, distributors and industry thought leaders as we take a deep dive into the product categories impacted most by the entrance of new GMOs into our food system.
6. Support our work
Be a disruptor! Our New GMOs educational series is brought to you in part by the Butterfly Alliance, a group of generous philanthropic individuals and corporations who help fund research, education and product verification at the Non-GMO Project. If you would like to learn more about the Butterfly Alliance, or if your organization is interested in underwriting this work, please contact us at info@nongmoproject.org. Your support helps us bring essential information to the natural products industry, collegial organizations and consumers.